Wall brace



J. POLYAK WALL BRACE Jan. 23, 1968 Filed April 19, 1965 a 2 I w 0 m m 4 P m o A M k W 9 v c 3 2 F w 3 .M y 4 M F 2 L am a w 2:: 2 f

United States Patent f 3,365,222 WALL BRACE Jack Polyak, 410 Theodore St., Joliet, Ill.

Filed Apr. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 449,157 Claims. (Cl. 287-2034) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to joist-secured wall braces and more particularly to a joist-secured brace which precludes the inward movement of the foundation wall, or the like, supporting the joist. p

The foundation walls of a building are often subjected to considerable forces which tend to displace the foundation wall inwardly. Accordingly, the joist must be rigidly secured with. regard to the foundation to brace the wall. This is diificult at best, and is further compounded by the fact that very often due to the present mode of construction of residential homes, for example, the top of the foundation wall is not provided with the customary sill plate upon which wall braces known heretofore could be secured.

It is an object of this invention to provide a joistsecured brace which functions to substantially preclude the inward displacement of the foundation wall supporting the joist.

Another object of this invention is to provide a brace of the nature described which is preferably integrally formed from one-piece of sheet steel or other suitable material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a joistsecured wall brace which is suitable for use in houses, or the like, that are not provided with a sill plate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a joistsecured wall brace which is simple in construction, and efiicient for the use intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a wall brace embodying the present invention shown operatively secured to a floor joist adjacent to a foundation wall;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a wall brace embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawings, a joist-secured wall brace is indicated generally at 10. As seen best in FIG- URE 2 the wall brace includes a pair of spaced vertical plates 12 and 14 which are connected by an integral flange 16 thereby forming a U-shaped joist receiving memher.

The vertical plates 12 and 14 may be provided with integrally joined inwardly struck fastening means 18, which may be provided with suitable barbs or the like, not shown. The U-shaped member formed by the vertical 3,365,222 Patented Jan. 23, 1968 plates 12, 14 and the fiange 16 are further provided with an integrally joined downwardly projecting means which is adapted to brace a wall which is subjected to forces tending to move it at generally right angles to the wall brace 10.

The brace 10 includes a downwardly projecting portion 20, which is integrally joined with one end of the flange 16 and is at a substantial right angle thereto. The portion 20 is bent back upon itself to form a gusset 22 which is preferably provided with corrugations 24 to reinforce the gusset 22. As seen best in FIGURES l and 2 the gusset 22 terminates in a portion 26 which is substantially parallel and contiguous to a portion of the underside of the flange 16. As will be seen best in'FIGURES 1 and 2 the flange 16 is further provided with integrally joined portions 28 on the side opposite the downwardly projecting portion 20. The integrallyjoined portion 28 is provided to prevent undue lateral movement of the gusset 22 with regard to the flange 16 and accordingly, is deformed in confining relationship around the portion 26 of the gusset 22.

It will be noted that the angular relationship of the flange 16, the depending portion 20, and the gusset 22 coact to define an A shaped bracing means which is.

capable of resisting compressive forces of considerable magnitude. In additon to the fastening means 18 the wall brace 10 is preferably provided with a plurality of fastener apertures such as 30 and 32, as seen best in FIGURE 2. The aperture 30 passes through the portions 16, 26 and 28. Accordingly, a fastening means passing therethrough into a joist will serve a dual purpose. First of course, the fastener passing through the aperture 30 will aid in securing the wall brace 111 to the joist, and secondly the fastener passing through the aperture 30 will prevent lateral movement of the gusset 22 out of the confining slot defined by the flange 16 and its integrally joined bent back portion 28.

With further regard to the integrally joined fastening means 18 it will be noted as seen best in FIGURES 2 and 3 that the fastening means 18 are in a staggered relationship i.e., the generally opposed inwardly projecting fasteners carried by the plates 12 and 14 are horizontally offset to lessen the likelihood of cracking the joist 34.

Referring now to FIGURE 1,.the wall bracket 10 is shown operatively positioned on, and secured to, a floor joist 34 which is supported upon a foundation wall 40 which is normally subjected to forces tending to move it inwardly such as might be developed by the back fill indicated at 42. The wall bracket 10, which is preferably formed from a single piece of sheet steel or other suitable metallic sheet material of a heavy gauge is spread apart slightly to permit the fastening means 18 to straddle the floor joist 34 adjacent the inside of the foundation wall 40 in substantially the position indicated in FIGURE 1. The fastening means 18 are then driven, or hammered into the joist 34 to bring the plates 12 and 14 into contiguous relationship with the opposed sides of the joist 34 as seen best in FIGURE 3. A suitable fastener 44 such as a 16 penny nail, or the like, is inserted through the aperture 30 and driven into the joist 34.

The depending portion 20 of the wall bracket 10 may be secured to the foundation wall 40 with a suitable hardened steel pin or the like which passes through the aper-' yet rugged and capable of withstanding the considerable forces which often tend to displace, and subsequently fracture a foundation wall of a building.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A joist-secured wall brace adapted to be secured to a joist adjacent a wall to be braced comprising spaced vertical plates connected by a bottom flange to define a normally upwardly opening U-shaped joist receiving member, Wall brace means integrally joined and depending from said bottom flange to preclude the inward movement of the wall being braced, said depending wall brace means including first and second integral portions, said first portion being normal to said bottom flange, said first portion being partially bent back upon itself and in substantially vertical alignment with the space defined between said vertical plates, said first portion being of generally the same width as the space defined between said plates, and said second portion comprising a reinforcing gusset of substantially the same width as said first portion of said wal-l brace means and interposed between said first portion and the end of said bottom flange distal to said first portion.

2. A joist-secured wall brace adapted to preclude the inward movement of the wall being braced comprising spaced vertical plates connected by a bottom flange to define a U-shaped joist receiving member, said bottom flange having a first and a second downwardly depending integral portion, one of said integrally joined depending portions being deformed dowward-ly at substantially right angles to said bottom flange, said depending portion of said flange being partially bent back upon itself and adapted to provide a gusset to brace said depending portion, the other of said depending portions of said flange being bent back in spaced apart parallel relationship to said flange thereby defining a slot adapted to receive a portion of said gusset.

3. The structure of claim 2 including means carried by said U-shaped joist receiving member to secure said member to the joist.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said securing means carried by said U-shaped joist receiving member comprises a plurality of inwardly struck fastener portions.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said wa-ll brace is formed of a unitary sheet of metal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,353 1/ 1936 Roberts 2 87-20'.925 2,884,670 5/1959 Garrison et al. 287- 2032 2,990,590 7/1961 Graveley 287-20.94

CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

W. L. SHEDD, Assistant Examiner. 

